iPhone 13 Screen Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 35 Steps
Is your iPhone 13 screen looking like a spider's web, ignoring your taps, or just plain blank when you turn it on? This guide walks you through swapping out your old screen (aka display assembly) for a shiny new one, so your phone feels brand new again. Quick heads-up: On iOS 17.6 and earlier, you’ll lose True Tone and auto brightness after a screen swap—even with an original Apple screen. Face ID won’t work unless you’re rocking iOS 15.2 or newer. For folks on iOS 18 and up, you can use Apple’s Repair Assistant to recalibrate and get True Tone back on genuine Apple screens. Ready to give your iPhone a fresh face?
Step 1
Heads up! Before you dive in, make sure to run that iPhone battery down below 25%. A fully charged lithium-ion battery can be a bit dramatic and might catch fire or even explode if it gets a little poke. Safety first, my friend!
Cracking open your iPhone’s display means those trusty waterproof seals will be busted. If you’re planning to dunk your phone in water (not recommended, by the way), grab some replacement seals before you go any further. If you skip the seals, just keep your phone away from pools, puddles, and overly ambitious drinks.
- First things first—let's give your iPhone a little rest. Power it down before we dive into the disassembly fun!
- Now, grab your trusty pentalobe P2 screwdriver and remove those two 6.8 mm-long screws hanging out at the bottom edge of your iPhone. They're just waiting to be taken out!
Step 2
Hey there! Just a quick tip: be careful not to insert your pick too deep, or you might accidentally give your device a little love tap that it doesn't need. To keep your repair on track, use a marker to note where your pick should go.
Feel free to get creative! You can also mark the other corners of your pick with various measurements to suit your style.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try taping a coin to the pick about 3 mm from the tip—it's a nifty trick to help guide your way!
- Measure 3 mm from the tip and mark the opening pick with a permanent marker—that little mark will be your trusty guide!
Step 3
Don't forget to rock those safety glasses! They’ll keep your peepers safe from any sneaky shards that might pop out during the repair.
Got a cracked iPhone screen? No worries! To avoid any further breakage and keep yourself safe during the fix, just tape over the glass before you get started.
If you're really stuck, don't sweat it—superglue that suction cup to the screen to give yourself a little extra grip while you work.
- Cover the iPhone’s screen with overlapping strips of clear packing tape until the entire front is sealed up.
- If the suction cup refuses to stick in the next steps, no worries! Grab a sturdy piece of tape (like duct tape), fold it into a little handle, and use that to lift the screen instead.
Tools Used
Step 4
The next three steps show you how to use the Anti-Clamp, a handy tool we created to make popping open your device a breeze. If you’re not using the Anti-Clamp, just jump ahead three steps for another way to get it open.
For detailed instructions on handling the Anti-Clamp, check out this guide.
If your iPhone’s surface feels a bit too slick for the Anti-Clamp to grip, no worries—just slap some tape on to give it a bit more traction.
- Pull the blue handle back to release the Anti-Clamp's arms.
- Slide the arms over either the left or right side of your iPhone.
- Place the suction cups near the bottom edge—one on the front and one on the back of your device.
- Press the cups together to create a strong seal where you want to lift.
Step 5
- Gently pull the blue handle forward to lock those arms in place!
- Give the handle a fun little twist to the right—360 degrees should do it, or until those suction cups start to stretch and show some excitement.
- Keep an eye on those suction cups; they like to stay side by side! If they start to wobble out of line, simply loosen them up a bit and guide them back to their proper positions.
Step 6
Don't go too fast—just a little twist at a time, about a quarter turn, and take a minute between each one. Let the Anti-Clamp and patience do their magic.
Ready to tackle that hair dryer? Check out this handy guide for all the ins and outs!
If the Anti-Clamp isn't creating the gap you need, don't sweat it! Just crank up the heat a bit more and give that handle a friendly twist of a quarter turn.
- Place your iPhone on a solid surface like a hardcover book so it stays still and level – this makes everything smoother for the next steps.
- Grab a hair dryer and heat the bottom edge of your iPhone. You want the screen to be warm, but not uncomfortably hot to the touch.
- Give it about a minute to let the adhesive soften up and create a small gap.
- Once the gap is big enough from the Anti-Clamp, gently slide an opening pick underneath the screen's bezel to make the next step a breeze.
- You can skip the next three steps.
Tools Used
Step 7
Don't let your hair dryer hang out in one spot for too long, or it might just get a bit too heated!
- Grab a hair dryer or a heat gun and warm up the bottom edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds or until it’s just a tad too hot to handle. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 8
- Grab your single suction handle and stick it near the bottom edge of the phone—just make sure to steer clear of the very edge of the glass!
Tools Used
Step 9
The watertight adhesive keeping that screen snug is no joke; getting that first gap open requires some serious elbow grease. If you’re struggling to create a gap, don’t sweat it! Just warm things up a bit more and gently wiggle the screen up and down to loosen that sticky stuff until you’ve got enough space to slide in your trusty tool.
- Give that suction cup a gentle but firm upward pull—think of it like opening a stubborn jar of peanut butter. You’re looking for a tiny gap between the screen and the frame.
- Slide an opening pick into the gap, right under the screen’s plastic edge. You’ve got this!
Step 10
- Grab a hair dryer and warm up the right edge of your iPhone (where the power button lives) for about 90 seconds, or until the screen feels just a bit too toasty to touch.
Tools Used
Step 11
Keep your pick under 3 mm to avoid any accidental damage to those delicate internal parts.
- Gently slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of your iPhone to break through the adhesive. No pressure needed, just a steady glide.
- Keep going, slide it up the right edge of the iPhone until you hit the top right corner. Smooth and steady wins the race.
- Now, leave the pick snugly in the top right corner. We’re almost there!
Step 12
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and aim it at the top edge of your iPhone for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too hot to touch. You're heating things up to make the next step a breeze!
Tools Used
Step 13
Keep your pick under 3 mm—going deeper could give those top sensors a bad day.
- Glide the opening pick along the top right corner of your iPhone to loosen up that stubborn adhesive—think of it as convincing your phone to let go of its grip.
- Let the pick chill out in the top left corner for a bit before you move on to the next step.
Step 14
- Grab your trusty hair dryer and give that left edge of the iPhone a warm embrace for about 90 seconds, or until it feels just a tad too hot to handle. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 15
Heads up—there are some pretty delicate cables chilling along the left edge of your iPhone. Keep your pick away from this area so you don’t accidentally mess them up!
Step 16
Ease into the twist—no need to rush.
Stubborn adhesive? Give that left edge another round of heat.
- Slide a second pick into the bottom left corner of your iPhone—like you’re sneaking in a secret agent.
- Give both picks a gentle twist at the same time, and watch those left edge clips pop loose!
Step 17
Hold off on pulling the display apart just yet—there are still some delicate ribbon cables keeping it tethered to the iPhone's logic board.
- First things first, if that suction handle is still hanging on, give it the boot now!
- Now, let's flip your iPhone so the right edge is looking right back at you.
- Time to open up! Swing the display up from the right side, just like you're opening a book. Easy peasy!
- Once it's open, prop that display up against something sturdy so you can work your magic without it flopping around.
- When you're putting it all back together, lay the display back in place, align those clips along the top edge, and give the top edge a gentle press to snap it into position. If it’s playing hard to get, take a peek at those clips around the edge to make sure they’re not bent out of shape.
Tools Used
Step 18
As you tackle this repair, make sure to keep an eye on each screw and return it to its rightful spot. It’ll help keep your iPhone happy and healthy!
- Grab your Phillips screwdriver and remove the three 1.3 mm screws holding down the battery and display connector cover.
- When putting everything back together, it’s a great time to power on your iPhone and make sure all functions are working before sealing the display. Don’t forget to power it down completely again before continuing with the reassembly.
Step 19
- Pop off the cover like you’re opening a treasure chest. Easy does it!
Step 20
Be careful not to mess up the black silicone seal around this and other board connections. These little guys work hard to keep water and dust out, so treat them like the VIPs they are!
- Grab a spudger or just use your clean fingernail to gently lift the battery connector from its spot on the logic board.
- Once it's up, give the connector a slight bend to keep it from accidentally touching the socket again and powering up the phone while you're working your magic.
Tools Used
Step 21
To reconnect those connectors, it's as easy as pie! Just line them up like a pro and give one side a gentle press until you hear that satisfying click. Then, do the same on the other side—no need to push down on the center though! Remember, if things get a little crooked, the pins might bend, and that could spell trouble. So, let’s keep everything aligned and happy!
- Gently pop the display cable connector loose using a spudger or your fingernail—no need to be a superhero, just a little wiggle does the trick!
Tools Used
Step 22
- Time to get those screws out! Let's remove the three screws that hold the front sensor connector cover tight:
- First up, grab that trusty Phillips screwdriver and tackle the one 1.7 mm Phillips screw.
- Next, we've got another Phillips screw, this one is 1.3 mm, so keep that screwdriver handy!
- And finally, don't forget about the 1.8 mm Y000 screw – it's the last piece of the puzzle!
Step 23
- Lift the cover up from the center of your phone, and watch for the small clip near the edge to pop free.
Step 24
- Take off the cover carefully.
- When putting it back, start by snapping the clip on the left edge into its spot, then gently swing the rest of the cover into place.
Step 25
- Gently pry up the front sensor assembly cable connector using a spudger or your fingernail to unplug it.
Tools Used
Step 26
- Lift off the screen with style.
- When you're putting it back together, this is a good spot to swap out that waterproof adhesive lining the edges of the display.
Step 27
The following steps will guide you on how to move the front sensor assembly to your new screen. If your new screen already has the assembly attached, feel free to skip ahead!
- Grab your trusty Y000 screwdriver and carefully unscrew the three tiny 1.4 mm-long screws holding the sensor assembly bracket in place. You're almost there!
Step 28
- Grab your tweezers or just your fingers and carefully lift off the front sensor assembly bracket. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 29
You can use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate here—just keep the heat chill, because your phone’s display isn’t a fan of high temps.
- Warm up an iOpener and set it on the top edge of your screen for a solid two minutes. Let the heat work its magic.
Tools Used
Step 30
- Slide an opening pick right between the ambient light sensor and its snug little home in the screen.
- Gently lift up with the pick to free that ambient light sensor from its screen companion.
Step 31
- Slip an opening pick right in between the proximity sensor and its cozy spot on the screen.
- Give it a gentle push with the pick to pop the proximity sensor away from the screen.
Step 32
- Gently use tweezers or your fingers to slide the proximity sensor cable out of the way from the screen.
Tools Used
Step 33
- Take your opening pick and sneak it under the microphone cable, right next to that shiny metal rectangle.
- Gently glide the pick around the edge of the microphone to loosen up the sticky adhesive.
Step 34
If the adhesive has cooled down, no worries! Just grab a heated iOpener and give that assembly a warm hug for one minute before moving on.
- Wedge an opening pick under the left edge of the front sensor assembly.
- Gently slide the pick along the assembly to pry it away from the frame.
Tools Used
Step 35
- Check out your new part next to the old one—sometimes there's leftover bits to move or sticky backings to peel off before it goes back in.
- Ready to wrap it up? Just reverse the steps you followed.
- If your replacement part needs a bit of digital TLC, iOS 18’s Repair Assistant has your back. Update your device, head to Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History, tap Restart & Finish Repair, and cruise through the prompts.
- Got old parts? Send them off to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler and give them a second life.
- If your repair hit a speed bump, try some basic troubleshooting, or pop over to our iPhone 13 Answers community for a fresh perspective. And if you’re stuck, you can always schedule a repair with us!
